Reel for metal snakes



Sept. 11, 1962 H. c. STEWART REEL FOR METAL SNAKES Filed Jan. 8, 1960FIG. 3

INVENTOR. HAROLD C. STEWART ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,053,472 REELFOR METAL SNAKES Harold C. Stewart, RD. 1, Cortland, Ohio Filed Jan. 8,1960, Ser. No. 1,306 Claims. (Cl. 242-96) of a reel which may be readilyformed of a relatively few parts and which will act to receive and coila relatively stiff elongated metal snake in an outer rotating portion ofthe reel.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reelwherein the hub portion is of relatively large diameter and a housing isrotatably mounted thereon and arranged to receive and coil a metal snakethereabout.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reel forreceiving and coiling an elongated metal snake and incorporating guidemeans for feeding the metal snake into the reel.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reel forreceiving and coiling a metal snake and including guide means extendingoutwardly therefrom through which said metal snake is trained andwherein said guide means incorporates a handle and a cam for engagingand holding the metal snake relative thereto.

The reel disclosed herein is particularly adapted for receiving andcoiling a relatively stiff elongated section of wire of rectangularcross section known in the art as a snake and commonly used by anelectrician for pulling wires and cables through pipes and conduits.Such metal snakes are first pushed through a conduit and a wire or cablesecured to an end thereof and the snake then pulled backwardly throughthe conduit pulling the wire or cable therethrough.

It has heretofore been customary to use reels having a fixed hub aboutwhich the metal snakes are coiled when not in use. Alternate means forcarrying the metal snakes comprise a frame having radially extendingcircumferentially spaced arms the outer ends of which are turnedinwardly to form an area in which the snake may be manually coiled. Suchdevices are cumbersome and coiling a metal snake therein is difiicultand they in no way contribute to the uncoiling of the snake when it isbeing used.

The present invention relates to a reel wherein a disclike hub isstationary and an enlarged housing is rotatably mounted on the hub andpositioned thereabout so that a metal snake may be fed thereinto througha combination guide tube and handle on the hub where the metal snakesnormal tendency to straighten out will cause it to coil in the outermostannular area of the rotatable housing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the reel for a metal snake.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross section through a portion of the guidetube, handle and locking device of the reel shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular it willbe seen that the reel for a metal snake comprises a circular disc 10which is centrally apertured at 11 and provided with a hub 12 extendingsidewardly from the disc 10 and through which hub 12 the aperture '11extends. An annular flange 13 is formed on one side of the disc 10adjacent the peripheral edge thereof, the flange 13 defines a modifiedspiral in that one end 13A thereof (as best shown in broken lines inFIGURE 1) is spaced inwardly with respect to the peripheral edge of thedisc 10 while the remaining annular section thereof follows theperipheral edge of the disc 10 to a point approximately /8 of a fullcircle and terminates at a point 13B.

The disc 10 is provided with a curved combination guide tube and handle14 which extends exteriorly thereof and includes a straight section 14Ahaving a tubular handle 15 formed on its outermost end. The curvedportion of the guide tube 14 is also offset from the center.

line of its longitudinal section 14A and thereby extends through thedisc 10* and terminates immediately adjacent the end 13A of the flange13 heretofore refrered to. A steel snake S pushed through the guide tube14 as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings will therefore emerge on theouter side of the end 13A of the flange 13 on the disc 10 and within thearea defined by a rotatable housing 16-.

The rotatable housing 16 includes a tubular bearing 17 which isrotatably mounted on the hub 12 heretofore referred to and a bolt 18having an enlarged head 19 is positioned through the aperture 11 in thehub 12 so that the head 19 overlies part of the housing 16. A nut 20positioned on the bolt :18 secures the assembly in a rotatable manner.The housing 16 has a curved outer annular edge 21 which is secured to anannular member 22 the innermost portion of which defines a circularopening in which the disc 10 is positioned.

It will thus be seen that the housing 16 forms an enclosure about theperipheral edge of the disc 10 and the flange 13 thereof and spaced withrespect thereto so that the snake S led thereinto through guide tube 14,due to its tendency to straighten out, will form a coil in the outerannular portion of the area enclosed by the housing 16 at such time asthe housing 16 is revolved on the hub 10 as by feeding the snake Sthereinto.

It will thus be seen that the reel for metal snakes as disclosed hereinprovides a hollow housing of annular shape, in which the stiff elongatedmetal snake S will coil when fed thereinto. It will also be seen thatthe annular housing prevents the accidental escape of the metal snakeand at the same time protects it and forms a convenient means ofcarrying the same.

By referring now to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be seenthat the tubular handle 15 is provided with a detachable lock mechanismwhich comprises a tubular body member 23 through which the metal snake Sis positioned and has a movable cam 24 having an upstanding integrallever 25 arranged to engage the metal snake S and hold it in stationaryrelation to the body member 23. A spring 26 positioned in the bodymember 23 normally urges the lever 25 away from the body member 23 andthereby pushes the cam 24 out of registry with the metal snake S. Whenthe tubular handle 15 and the locking device 23 is used to pull themetal snake S Patented Sept. 11, 1962" locks it securely to the bodymember 23 and the tubular handle 15. It will thus be seen that a workmanmay conveniently hold the reel by the tubular handle 15 and by movinghis arm back and forth and alternately locking and unlocking the cam 24the snake S may be pulled from a conduit and coiled in the reelsimultaneously with a minimum of effort. The cam 24 is pivoted to thebody member 23 by a pivot pin 27 as best shown in FIG- URE 4 of thedrawings. It will thus be seen that a reel for a metal snake has beendisclosed which provides a convenient and practical means of holding andcoiling the metal snake and that the reel as disclosed herein thereforemeets the several objects of the invention, having thus described myinvention What I claim is:

1. A reel for coiling an elongated metal snake comprising a disc havinga central hub and an annular flange about a substantial portion of itsperiphery, one end of said annular flange being curved inwardly on asmaller radius than the radius of said annular flange so that said endthereof is oflset inwardly and spaced circumferentially with respect tothe other end, a housing rotatably mounted on said central hub of saiddisc, said housing including an annular inturned flange defining anopening in which said disc is positioned, a combination guide tube andhandle positioned through said disc in offset relation thereto andextending exteriorly thereof for receiving and guiding said metal snakeinto and out of said housing.

2. A reel for an elongated flexible metal member comprising a housing ofcircular shape having spaced walls joined to each other at theirperipheral edges, one of said spaced Walls of said housing havingrelatively large circular opening therein and the other of said spacedwalls having a sidewardly extending tubular bearing centrally thereof, adisc having a tubular hub rotatably positioned in said tubular bearing,said disc being positioned in said relatively large circular opening insaid housing wall, a flange formed on said disc within the area of saidhousing and extending thereabout with the ends of said flange spacedwith respect to one another and one end of said flange being curved andoffset inwardly with respect to the peripheral edge of said disc, aguide tube having an offset section therein positioned through said discand having one end thereof positioned adjacent to said offset end ofsaid flange and the other end of said guide tube extending exteriorly ofsaid disc whereby said flexible metal member may be moved through saidguide tube into said housing and into the area around said flange onsaid disc.

3. The reel for elongated flexible metal members as set forth in claim 2and wherein a tubular handle is attached to the outer end of said 'guidetube.

4. The reel for elongated flexible metal members set forth in claim 2and wherein a fastener is positioned axially through said hub and saidbearing and secures said disc to said housing in a rotatable manner.

5. A reel for a metal snake comprising a circular housing, a hubrotatably secured thereto centrally thereof, a disc rotatably secured tosaid hub in spaced relation to said housing and a flange formed adjacentthe peripheral edge of said disc with the ends of said flange beingspaced with respect to one another and one of said ends of said flangebeing spaced inwardly with respect to the peripheral edge of said disc,said housing having a flat wall with an annular flange on its annularperipheral edge and an inturned secondary flange on said annular flange,said inturned secondary flange defining an opening in which said disc isrotatably mounted and a guide tube having a curved offset sectionpositioned on and through said disc and having an inner most endterminating adjacent said oflset end of said flange on said disc wherebysaid metal snake when moved through said guide tube will lie withincircular housing beyond said flange on said disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,842,166 Haines Jan. 19, 1932 1,929,568 SpoWart Oct. 10, 1933 2,219,555Burwell Oct. 29, 1940 2,928,656 Lindsey Mar. 15, 1960

